Previously known conventional lit cigarettes deliver flavor and aroma to the user as a result of combustion of tobacco. A mass of combustible material, primarily tobacco, is oxidized as the result of applied heat with typical combustion temperatures in a conventional cigarette being in excess of 800 degrees Celsius during puffing.
Lit-end cigarettes have some perceived drawbacks associated with them. Among them is the production of side stream smoke during smoldering between puffs, which may be objectionable to some non-smokers. Also, once lit, lit-end cigarettes must be fully consumed or discarded. Relighting a lit-end cigarette is possible but is usually an unattractive prospect for subjective reasons related to flavor, taste and odor.
Electrical smoking systems including electrically powered lighters and specially designed cigarettes that are adapted to cooperate with the lighters are disclosed in several commonly assigned U.S. patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,368, 5,878,752, 5,093,894, 5,225,498, 5,060,671, 5,095,921, 5,388,594 and 5,499,636, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In an embodiment of the lighter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,752, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the smoking system 21 includes a cylindrical cigarette 23 and a reusable, hand-held lighter 25. The cigarette 23 is adapted to be inserted and removed from an orifice 27 at a front end 29 of the lighter 25. The cigarette 23 is disposed of after one or more puff cycles. The lighter 25 is preferably disposed of after a greater number of puff cycles than the cigarette 23. The lighter 25 includes a housing 31 and has front and rear portions 33 and 35. A power source 37 for supplying energy to heater elements 120 for heating the cigarette 23 is preferably disposed in the rear portion 35 of the lighter 25. The rear portion 35 is preferably adapted to be easily opened and closed, such as with screws or with snap-fit components, to facilitate replacement of the power source 37. The front portion 33 preferably houses heater elements and circuitry in electrical communication with a power source 37 in the rear portion 35. The housing 31 is preferably adapted to fit comfortably in the hand of a smoker and, in a presently preferred embodiment, has overall dimensions of approximately 10.7 cm×3.8 cm×1.5 cm. The power source 37 is sized to provide sufficient power for heater elements that heat the cigarette 23. The power source 37 is preferably replaceable and rechargeable and may include devices such as a capacitor, or more preferably, a battery. A substantially cylindrical heater fixture 39 for heating the cigarette 23, and, preferably, for holding the cigarette in place relative to the lighter 25, and electrical control circuitry 41 for delivering a predetermined amount of energy from the power source 37 to cigarette heater elements 120 of the heater fixture 39, are preferably disposed in the front 33 of the lighter.
The plurality of metallic heaters 120 are disposed in a configuration that slidingly receives a tobacco rod portion of a cigarette. One of the many advantages of such a smoking system is the reusability of the lighter for numerous cigarettes. In the heater fixture disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,752 and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cigarette would be inserted through the tapered opening at the right side of FIG. 2 into a substantially cylindrical space of the cigarette heater fixture defined by a ring-shaped cap 83 having an open end for receiving the cigarette, a cylindrical air channel sleeve 87, an outer sleeve 84, a heater assembly including the heater blades 120, and electrically conductive pins or leads 104A and 104B. The spacer 49 stops the cigarette in a desired position in the cigarette heater fixture such that the heater blades 120 are disposed in a snug fit around the outer circumference of the cigarette. The heater fixture disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,752 shows an air channel sleeve 87 through which air can flow axially in order to reach the point where the heater blades 120 contact the cigarette. Gaps 125, 126 and 130 can provide pathways for the air to be drawn into contact with the inserted cigarettes.